The driving force behind working out is completely redefined when you hit your forties.
As a young man full of testosterone it's easy to put on your angry music and grunt, growl, and fight your way through a workout. You have plenty of young man reasons to keep working out. You may still be playing ball or just love to stay in shape to impress the ladies.
(Side Story; I have never impressed the ladies....I can honestly say that Karla is the only woman I have ever felt at ease around. (I can't explain why)....All other interactions with the opposite sex usually results in mumbling, stuttering and vapor lock....Yes sir, I am smooth.)
Probably my finest moment in regards to trying to impress a member of the opposite sex was when I was running on the treadmill at the gym. An attractive young blonde started to run on the treadmill beside me. Being an idiot I tried to be all studly and nonchalant whilst attempting to take off my sweatshirt as I ran. The end result was me wiping out, slamming my armpit into the treadmill rail, landing my back and being unceremoniously deposited on the gym floor. It was a fine moment.
Yes, I was married at the time....But I'm being honest. Let's face it....It doesn't matter if a man is married or not.....If he sees an attractive woman he is going to suck in his gut before she has a chance to realize he has a dunlop. Men can't help but show off when their young (Ok, when their old too, in some cases)....It has nothing to do with trying to get a date or anything, we just like to make a good impression.......We're just stupid like that)
I don't know what the average age of "in one's prime" for a man is, but I can tell you that at twenty seven years of age I was in the best shape of my life.....I felt invincible.
Fast forward......(I didn't mean that fast, dammit)
As an older man who has mellowed considerably whilst fighting nagging aches and pains I find it hard at times to stay motivated.
Part of the lack of motivation is the fact that I have been married for almost twenty two years now. I have two children and have grown very comfortable in a very, very, good marriage. However, one of the pitfalls of a long marriage is that it's easy to grow complacent. Seriously, for those of you who have been married a long time, how many of you, men and women, have asked yourselves "Why should I care what I look like? What do I have to prove? I don't need to impress anyone anymore...."
Did anyone raise their hand? C'mon....I know I'm not the only one.....Don't lie to me......
Well here is your answer....How about impressing your spouse?......
I am a brilliant dumb ass......
Like I said....In a long marriage it's easy to grow complacent. It's not that I love my wife any less or that I don't feel the need to impress her......It's just that I know that I'm not going anywhere....So why put a whole lot of effort into working out?
Yeah, that's not a very good excuse. Time to do another set.....
Actually, now that I think about it, perhaps the biggest reason working out as an older man is more difficult is because, as a young man, you are "building" and working hard to get bigger, faster, stronger....
When you get older you switch from "Build" to "Prevent"....It's just hard to get excited about preventative maintenance. It sucks knowing that I have to work twice as hard and eat less than half of what I used to to get the same results that I got over fifteen years ago.
Here are some examples of what I'm driving at: (and these are extreme examples....I can't help it. That's just the way my warped brain functions.)
Young ---- I want six pack abs.....
OLD ---- I'll settle for pinch an inch.....Just as long as it doesn't turn into grab a slab......
The metabolism has slowed. Now if I want a six pack I actually have to watch what I eat. I'm not optimistic that I can stay disciplined enough to regain the concrete wall that I once had for a stomach. I fear my six pack will be permanently hidden beneath a bag of chips.
Young ---- I want to build up my bi's and tri's and get that line that separates the two......You know, definition.....
OLD --- I don't want bingo wings.....
At this point I could give a shit less about definition....I'll settle for good muscle tone.
By the way.....Bingo Wings has to be, by far, the most unflattering term I have ever heard.....
Young --- I want to look good in my jeans.
OLD --- I don't want my ass to disappear....
What is it about the male posterior that causes it to melt away? Is it sudden? Do you just wake up one day, reach around to scratch your ass, and discover that it has gone AWOL?
This it the worst part of getting old, in my opinion....I see all those guys with suspenders, overalls, or a belt cinched in tight, and there is this flat void where their ass once resided......Really.....what happened?
Ah, hell....you know what? I'm getting bent out of shape about something I can't control. Time will have it's way with me someday.....But until then, I'll just keep fighting.....It's the only way I know how to deal with it.
And I will do it with a smile on my face........The best advice I ever got was from a friend who's once told me "Just keep laughing".
Great advice. The world is a much better place if you can keep a sense of humor about it.
So smile I will......I figure that, someday down the road, if I smile big enough, no one will notice that my ass is missing...
:)
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